Medellín, known as the City of Eternal Spring, surprised me in a very good way. Almost every traveler I met was enthusiastic about the city and quite a few stayed longer than planned. I had five days, with four full days to explore, and that worked well for me. There is plenty to do without spending every day running from sight to sight. Take time for downtown Medellín, Comuna 13, the Metro and cable cars, good food in El Poblado and, if you have an extra day, a trip to Guatapé.
Travel to Medellin
Medellín has two airports, so check the airport code before you book your transport. José María Córdova International Airport (MDE) is outside the city near Rionegro. Olaya Herrera Airport (EOH) is much closer to the center and mainly handles domestic flights. My route into Medellín came from Salento by bus. It is a long journey through the mountains, so traveling during the day was definitely my preference. You can check the latest bus options from Salento to Medellín with 12Go before you travel. Long-distance buses use two main terminals. Terminal del Sur is close to Olaya Herrera Airport, while Terminal del Norte is connected directly to Caribe Metro Station.
From Medellín I flew north to Santa Marta, which was my next base for exploring the Caribbean coast and the Palomino area.
Getting Around Medellin by Metro and Cable Car
The Metro is one of the easiest ways to get around Medellín. The network includes trains, buses, trams and several Metrocable lines that connect the valley with neighborhoods higher up the mountains. Take a cable car at least once. Medellín sits in a narrow valley and from above you really see how far the city spreads up the hills. The cable cars are part of the normal public transport system, so for many people this is simply their daily trip to work or school.
Keep your phone, wallet and other valuables safely packed away on busy Metro trains, platforms and cable cars. Pickpockets are something to be aware of, especially when it gets crowded.
Where to Stay in Medellin: El Poblado
I stayed at Rango Boutique Hostel in El Poblado, next to Parque Lineal La Presidenta. It was a good base, with restaurants, cafes and bars nearby and Poblado Metro Station within walking distance. Rango has both dorms and private rooms. The private room was the easy choice for me. I like the social side of a hostel, but sharing a bedroom with ten strangers has definitely had its time. El Poblado is convenient for a first stay in Medellín. You have plenty of restaurants, coffee shops and nightlife nearby, which is nice after a full day exploring the city.
Prefer something different? Check Booking.com for more hotels and guesthouses in Medellín, from boutique-style stays in El Poblado to quieter places a little further away from the nightlife.
Is El Poblado Medellin Safe?
El Poblado felt comfortable to me, but Medellín is a large city. Keep your valuables out of sight and don’t walk around with your phone in your hand all the time. At night, take transport if a street feels too quiet or you are not sure about walking back. No need to worry about every corner, but keep your normal city radar switched on.
Things to Do in Medellin Colombia
Four full days gave me enough time to see the main things without filling every hour. These were my favorite things to do in Medellín.
1. Join a Free Walking Tour in Medellin
A Free Walking Tour with Real City Tours is a very good way to start in Medellín. It wasn’t really the buildings that stayed with me. It was the history and the stories behind the places we passed. Our guide explained the role of the FARC and ELN, paramilitary groups, the government and the drug cartels. It is a complicated history, but hearing the stories while walking through Medellín made it much easier to understand. Pablo Escobar came up, of course, but you could feel this was still a sensitive subject. Our guide even preferred us not to shout his name while walking through the streets. Medellín has a lot more to tell than just the Escobar story. Some of the stories were difficult to hear and at one point even made me emotional. There was a lot of pain in the recent history, while at the same time you could feel how positive people were about the changes in their city.
The tour also took us through Plaza Cisneros, better known as the Square of Lights or Parque de las Luces. Hundreds of tall light columns fill the square. Our guide explained it as part of the idea of “Medellín is Light” and the transformation of this part of downtown.
We also stopped for what our guide called the best empanadas in town. Another stop was Bolívar Park, where the San Alejo artisan market takes place on the first Saturday of the month. These small stops made the walking tour fun too. It wasn’t four hours of history lessons without a break. The Free Walking Tour works on a tip-based system. So yes, a good guide deserves a proper tip!
2. Visit Plaza Botero and Downtown Medellin
Plaza Botero is one of the best-known places in downtown Medellín. The square is directly in front of the Museo de Antioquia and has 23 large bronze sculptures by Medellín-born artist Fernando Botero.His people and animals have those typical oversized shapes. Even if museums are not normally high on your holiday list, walking around Plaza Botero is fun. If you want to see more of his work, continue into the Museo de Antioquia next door.
The Botero Birds at San Antonio Park
There is a much more serious Botero story at San Antonio Park. In 1995, a bomb exploded beneath one of Botero’s bird sculptures and killed 23 people. The damaged bird was left where it was. Five years later, Botero donated a second bird, Pájaro de la Paz, to stand next to it as a symbol of peace. Seeing those two birds standing next to each other made quite an impression on me. One damaged, one new. You don’t need much more explanation.
3. Take a Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour
Comuna 13 was the tour everybody kept recommending. After hearing about it several times from other travelers, it was definitely going on my list. Our guide was Jason. He told us he had been a gang member in Comuna 13 and had changed his life after being shot several times. That gives you a slightly different introduction to a neighborhood than reading about it in a guidebook. Jason talked very openly about growing up there. Drugs, weapons, death and poverty were part of daily life for many young and vulnerable people around him. His stories were tough, funny at times and very personal. That was what made this tour so interesting for me.
Today visitors come to Comuna 13 for the murals, music, viewpoints and famous outdoor escalators. The contrast with the stories Jason told us was enormous.
The murals are colorful, but many have a deeper meaning. You see stories about love, freedom, violence, life and death. Take some time to look instead of only walking from one photo spot to the next. The outdoor escalators make it much easier to move up and down this very steep part of Medellín. Together with better transport connections, they became part of the changes in the neighborhood. Tourism followed too, and Comuna 13 is very popular now, so don’t expect to have it to yourself. Go with a local guide if you can. For me, Jason and his stories were much more interesting than just seeing the graffiti.
4. Ride the Medellin Cable Car
Even if you already use the Metro to get around, take some time for a Metrocable ride. From above you see neighborhoods climbing high up the hills, while Medellín stretches through the valley below. It gives you a completely different view of the city. The views are great, but remember that the cable car is public transport first. For the people sitting next to you, this may simply be the way home.
5. Take a Day Trip to Guatapé and Piedra del Peñol
Keep one full day for Guatapé and Piedra del Peñol if you have enough time. I booked an organized tour instead of traveling independently. The bus group was bigger than I normally like, but after several busy travel days I was quite happy to let somebody else arrange everything for once. One of the main stops is Piedra del Peñol. Around 700 steps take you to the top of this huge rock for views over the reservoir and its little green islands.
I am afraid of heights, but the staircase felt quite enclosed. Being out of breath turned out to be a bigger problem than looking down. Afterwards, continue to Guatapé. The town is known for its colorful houses and zócalos, the painted reliefs along the bottom of the buildings. Yes, it is touristy. But it is also colorful, easy to walk around and worth seeing. My favorite part was having some free time to wander through the streets by myself.
Read my Guatapé and Piedra del Peñol blog for the complete day trip.
Restaurants and Coffee in El Poblado
El Poblado makes life very easy when it comes to food, coffee and cocktails. These were three of my favorites.
Café Zorba
Café Zorba was right next to Rango and became a repeat visit. It is an open-air restaurant with pizza, cocktails, music and a relaxed atmosphere. The spinach pizza was my favorite. Or perhaps the friendly service had something to do with those repeat visits too.
Pergamino Coffee
For a good coffee stop, go to Pergamino Vía Primavera. Take a seat on the terrace, order a proper Colombian coffee and stay for a while. They also sell bags of coffee, which make a good souvenir and fortunately take up very little suitcase space.
Carmen Medellin
For a more special dinner, try Carmen. The restaurant uses Colombian ingredients in a more modern and creative way, with a stylish setting in El Poblado. I sat at the bar, which worked perfectly as a solo traveler. You can watch the cocktails being made and don’t have that slightly awkward feeling of occupying a table for two all evening Make a reservation if you really want to eat here, especially for dinner.
How Many Days Do You Need in Medellin?
Three days is enough to see the main Medellín highlights. Use one day for downtown and the Free Walking Tour, another for Comuna 13 and El Poblado, and keep the third for Guatapé. Four full days felt better to me. There was enough time for the tours, Metro and cable cars, a good dinner and some hours without a schedule. If you only have two days, stay in Medellín and save Guatapé for another trip.
Would I Return to Medellin?
Yes. Medellín was one of the biggest surprises of my Colombia trip. It wasn’t one famous sight that made me like the city. It was the combination of the green valley, its complicated history, the people and their stories, Comuna 13, the Metro and cable cars, good restaurants and Colombian coffee. Five days was enough for me, but I understood why so many travelers I met decided to stay longer.
Continue exploring Colombia with my blogs on Cartagena and the Rosario Islands or travel north towards the Tayrona and Palomino area.
